Ectair
Ectair, or Little Orion, was the fourth planet of the Mozinphar's Star system, which lay within the region of space known as the Outback, located within the boundaries of Federation space but near the Romulan Neutral Zone, in the Alpha or Beta Quadrant. It was the only Class M planet in its system and had no moons. Ectair was a neutral and independent planet, and famously the site of the Treaty of Ectair between the Federation and the Romulan Empire and threatened by a Doomsday machine. Society In the late 23rd century, Ectair was population by around 1,500,000 inhabitants of mixed species. Only 1% of the population was Orion, though the original settlers retained political influence. Most, however, hailed from Federation worlds, and many were still citizens, with a number of major Federation races represented: an estimated 50% were Human. A small enclave of Romulan traders was also present. Ectairian society was a frontier culture and largely a lawless one. There were few laws decreed, and even those were rarely enforced. There was no dominant culture; each race and group went their own ways. The only loose structure was that of the so-called Elite class, consisting of the original Orion settlers and their families, plus few others risen to high rank for their service to the world. The planet was staunchly independent and operated as an open and free trade-world, and it had little concern for what other worlds considered illegal, such as contraband or stolen goods. However, it wisely avoided taking this to a degree that would provoke Federation intervention. Pirates could sell their booty here, but none were openly based on Ectair, nor had any connections with its government. By the Treaty of Ectair, it was an open port to both Federation and Romulan vessels, and trade with the Romulans was heavy. Thus Ectair was a major source of the Romulan ale that was smuggled into the Federation, but Federation strategists, including Admiral James Kirk worried that it would become a Romulan military base or espionage centre. It had a technological/sociopolitical index of 899773-66 and a planetary trade profile of EBDFEFG/A©. Government & Politics What government there was rested with the Master of Ectair. Although the Master theoretically served as the spokesman for the Elite class, he actually wielded absolute power. With the succession of Amehda Mozinphar to his father Emerak, the position quickly became a hereditary tyranny. However, Amehda Mozinphar proved to be a weak ruler, dominated by the planet’s business leaders, both Federation- and Romulan-based. This prompted the Federation to a strong diplomatic effort to reduce Romulan influence, though with little success. Ectairian leaders desired to maintain friendly relations with the Federation, but not closer ties, as they were against becoming members or being absorbed in any way. Thus they remained firmly independent and neutral. A Federation Consulate existed to represent Federation interests and protect its citizens on Ectair. The Consul was Aki Torimatsu. History Mozinphar's Star was discovered and named by Emerak Mozinphar in stardate 1/9609. Emerak was the leader of a band of Orion political refugees (likely pirates and slavers) fleeing the Rigel system in a number of starships following the first Federation crackdowns there. They settled the fourth planet, Ectair, by stardate 2/0001, with Emerak as its first Master. Soon after came a sizable influx of other settlers, including hardy pioneers and criminals of various types, all searching for a less restrictive society. It was well outside the Federation at this time, but expansions brought it ever closer. ( ) :In the FASA RPG timeline, stardate 1/96 is actually during the Klingon Empire's occupation of the Rigel system. The particular Federation crackdown is unclear. See Orion history for more. In stardate 2/1705, Ectair was the site of a diplomatic incident when it was visited by a squadron of Romulan vessels. They had been exploring the Outback and went around the Neutral Zone. Also at Ectair was the Starfleet light cruiser [[USS Ardent (NCC-26231)|USS Ardent]], stopping for supplies. Its hot-headed Starfleet captain challenged the Romulans, nearly starting a major conflict, until Emerak Mozinphar stepped in to mediate their dispute. That the Romulans could go around the Neutral Zone posed a threat to Federation policy against them, prompting negotiations between the two powers on Ectair itself. These concluded in the signing of the Treaty of Ectair on stardate 2/1810.21, between representatives of the Federation, the Romulan Empire and Ectairian leaders. ( ) Ectair was eventually engulfed by Federation expansion over stardates 2/20 – 2/22, but remained an awkward embarrassment to the UFP, due to the Treaty, its independence and lawlessness. ( ) But in stardate 2/2306, a Doomsday machine activated and threatened Ectair with destruction. The [[USS Fife (NCC 2572)|USS Fife]] struggled to stop the device and save the world or its people. ( ) Environment Ectair was an M-class planet with a terrestrial atmosphere and a warm temperate climate. Environmentally, it was quite similar to Terra prior to that world’s industrial age. It had four primary continents and a number of island chains scattered about its oceans. The continent of Alnakar was the site of the inland Sea of Samakhur, and the majority of the planet’s population lived around its shores. The climate here ranged from sub-tropical to warm temperate. It had a total surface area of 612,000,000 square kilometers, 67% of which was land, or 410,040,000 square kilometers. It had 21-hour-long day. Ectair's mineral content consisted of 87% normal metals, 25% radioactive elements, 34% was gemstones, 22% was industrial crystals, and 13% special minerals. ( ) Category:Planets Category:Fourth planets Category:Alpha and Beta Quadrant planets Category:Orion colonies